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The King of Glory

1The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,11Or and all that fills itthe world and those who dwell therein,2for he has founded it upon the seasand established it upon the rivers.

3Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?And who shall stand in his holy place?4He who has clean hands and a pure heart,who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.5He will receive blessing from the Lordand righteousness from the God of his salvation.6Such is the generation of those who seek him,who seek the face of the God of Jacob.22Septuagint, Syriac, and two Hebrew manuscripts; Masoretic Text Jacob, who seek your faceSelah

7Lift up your heads, O gates!And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.8Who is this King of glory?The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!9Lift up your heads, O gates!And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.10Who is this King of glory?The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright (c)2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. http://www.esv.org

God's Absolute Propriety.

A psalm of David.

1 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and
they that dwell therein. 2 For he hath founded it upon the
seas, and established it upon the floods.

Here is, I. God's absolute propriety in
this part of the creation where our lot is cast, v. 1. We are not to think that the
heavens, even the heavens only, are the Lord's, and the numerous
and bright inhabitants of the upper world, and that this earth,
being so small and inconsiderable a part of the creation, and at
such a distance from the royal palace above, is neglected, and that
he claims no interest in it. No, even the earth is his, and this
lower world; and, though he has prepared the throne of his glory in
the heavens, yet his kingdom rules over all, and even the worms of
this earth are not below his cognizance, nor from under his
dominion. 1. When God gave the earth to the children of men he
still reserved to himself the property, and only let it out to them
as tenants, or usufructuaries: The earth is the Lord's and the
fulness thereof. The mines that are lodged in the bowels of it,
even the richest, the fruits it produces, all the beasts of the
forest and the cattle upon a thousand hills, our lands and houses,
and all the improvements that are made of this earth by the skill
and industry of man, are all his. These indeed, in the kingdom of
grace, are justly looked upon as emptiness; for they are vanity of
vanities, nothing to a soul; but, in the kingdom of providence,
they are fulness. The earth is full of God's riches, so is the
great and wide sea also. All the parts and regions of the earth
are the Lord's, all under his eye, all in his hand: so that,
wherever a child of God goes, he may comfort himself with this,
that he does not go off his Father's ground. That which falls to
our share of the earth and its productions is but lent to us; it is
the Lord's; what is our own against all the world is not so against
his claims. That which is most remote from us, as that which passes
through the paths of the sea, or is hidden in the bottom of it, is
the Lord's and he knows where to find it. 2. The habitable part of
this earth (Prov. viii. 31)
is his in a special manner—the world and those that dwell
therein. We ourselves are not our own, our bodies, our souls,
are not. All souls are mine, says God; for he is the former
of our bodies and the Father of our spirits. Our tongues are not
our own; they are to be at his service. Even those of the children
of men that know him not, nor own their relation to him, are his.
Now this comes in here to show that, though God is graciously
pleased to accept the devotions and services of his peculiar chosen
people (v. 3-5), it
is not because he needs them, or can be benefited by them, for the
earth is his and all in it, Exod. xix. 5; Ps. l. 12. It is
likewise to be applied to the dominion Christ has, as Mediator,
over the utmost parts of the earth, which are given him for his
possession: the Father loveth the Son and hath given all things
into his hand, power over all flesh. The apostle quotes this
scripture twice together in his discourse about things offered to
idols, 1 Cor. x. 26,
28. "If it be sold in the shambles, eat it, and ask no
questions; for the earth is the Lord's; it is God's good
creature, and you have a right to it. But, if one tell you it was
offered to an idol, forbear, for the earth is the Lord's,
and there is enough besides." This is a good reason why we should
be content with our allotment in this world, and not envy others
theirs; the earth is the Lord's, and may he not do what he
will with his own, and give to some more of it, to others less, as
it pleases him?

II. The ground of this propriety. The earth
is his by an indisputable title, for he hath founded it upon the
seas and established it upon the floods,v. 2. It is his; for, 1. He
made it, formed it, founded it, and fitted it for the use of man.
The matter is his, for he made it out of nothing; the form is his,
for he made it according to the eternal counsels and ideas of his
own mind. He made it himself, he made it for himself; so that he is
sole, entire, and absolute owner, and none can let us a title to
any part, but by, from, and under him; see Ps. lxxxix. 11, 12. 2. He made it so as no
one else could. It is the creature of omnipotence, for it is
founded upon the seas, upon the floods, a weak and unstable
foundation (one would think) to build the earth upon, and yet, if
almighty power please, it shall serve to bear the weight of this
earth. The waters which at first covered the earth, and rendered it
unfit to be a habitation for man, were ordered under it, that the
dry land might appear, and so they are as a foundation to it; see
Ps. civ. 8, 9. 3. He
continues it, he has established it, fixed it, so that,
though one generation passes and another comes, the earth abides,
Eccl. i. 4. And his
providence is a continued creation, Ps. cxix. 90. The founding of the earth upon
the floods should remind us how slippery and uncertain all earthly
things are; their foundation is not only sand, but water; it is
therefore our folly to build upon them.

The Character of True
Israelites.

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy
place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who
hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his
salvation. 6 This is the generation of them that seek
him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

From this world, and the fulness thereof,
the psalmist's meditations rise, of a sudden to the great things of
another world, the foundation of which is not on the seas, nor on
the floods. The things of this world God has given to the children
of men and we are much indebted to his providence for them; but
they will not make a portion for us. And therefore,

I. Here is an enquiry after better things,
v. 3. This earth is
God's footstool; but, if we had ever so much of it, we must be here
but a while, must shortly go hence, and Who then shall ascend
into the hill of the Lord? Who shall go to heaven hereafter,
and, as an earnest of that, shall have communion with God in holy
ordinances now? A soul that knows and considers its own nature,
origin, and immortality, when it has viewed the earth and the
fulness thereof, will sit down unsatisfied; there is not found
among all the creatures a help meet for man, and therefore it will
think of ascending towards God, towards heaven, will ask, "What
shall I do to rise to that high place, that hill, where the Lord
dwells and manifests himself, that I may be acquainted with him,
and to abide in that happy holy place where he meets his people and
makes them holy and happy? What shall I do that I may be of those
whom God owns for his peculiar people and who are his in another
manner than the earth is his and its fulness?" This question is
much the same with that, Ps. xv.
1. The hill of Zion on which the temple was built
typified the church, both visible and invisible. When the people
attended the ark to its holy place David puts them in mind that
these were but patterns of heavenly things, and therefore that by
them they should be led to consider the heavenly things
themselves.

II. An answer to this enquiry, in which we
have,

1. The properties of God's peculiar people,
who shall have communion with him in grace and glory. (1.) They are
such as keep themselves from all the gross acts of sin. They have
clean hands; not spotted with the pollutions of the world
and the flesh. None that were ceremonially unclean might enter into
the mountain of the temple, which signified that cleanness of
conversation which is required in all those that have fellowship
with God. The hands lifted up in prayer must be pure hands, no blot
of unjust gain cleaving to them, nor any thing else that defiles
the man and is offensive to the holy God. (2.) They are such as
make conscience of being really (that is, of being inwardly) as
good as they seem to be outwardly. They have pure hearts. We
make nothing of our religion if we do not make heart-work of it. It
is not enough that our hands be clean before men, but we must also
wash our hearts from wickedness, and not allow ourselves in any
secret heart-impurities, which are open before the eye of God. Yet
in vain do those pretend to have pure and good hearts whose hands
are defiled with the acts of sin. That is a pure heart which is
sincere and without guile in covenanting with God, which is
carefully guarded, that the wicked one, the uncle an spirit, touch
it not, which is purified by faith, and conformed to the image and
will of God; see Matt. v. 8.
(3.) They are such as do not set their affections upon the things
of this world, do not lift up their souls unto vanity, whose
hearts are not carried out inordinately towards the wealth of this
world, the praise of men, or the delights of sense, who do not
choose these things for their portion, nor reach forth after them,
because they believe them to be vanity, uncertain and unsatisfying.
(4.) They are such as deal honestly both with God and man. In their
covenant with God, and their contracts with men, they have not
sworn deceitfully, nor broken their promises, violated their
engagements, nor taken any false oath. Those that have no regard to
the obligations of truth or the honour of God's name are unfit for
a place in God's holy hill. (5.) They are a praying people
(v. 6): This is
the generation of those that seek him. In every age there is a
remnant of such as these, men of this character, who are
accounted to the Lord for a generation,Ps. xxii. 30. And they are such as seek God,
that seek they face, O Jacob! [1.] They join themselves to
God, to seek him, not only in earnest prayer, but in serious
endeavours to obtain his favour and keep themselves in his love.
Having made it the summit of their happiness, they make it the
summit of their ambition to be accepted of him, and therefore take
care and pains to approve themselves to him. It is to the hill of
the Lord that we must ascend, and, the way being up-hill, we have
need to put forth ourselves to the utmost, as those that seek
diligently. [2.] They join themselves to the people of God, to seek
God with them. Being brought into communion with God, they come
into communion of saints; conforming to the patterns of the saints
that have gone before (so some understand this), they seek God's
face, as Jacob (so some), who was therefore surnamed
Israel, because he wrestled with God and prevailed, sought
him and found him; and, associating with the saints of their own
day, they shall court the favour of God's church (Rev. iii. 9), shall be glad of an
acquaintance with God's people (Zech.
viii. 23), shall incorporate themselves with them, and,
when they subscribe with their hands to the Lord, shall
call themselves by the name of Jacob,Isa. xliv. 5. As soon as ever Paul was
converted he joined himself to the disciples,Acts ix. 26. They shall seek God's
face in Jacob (so some), that is, in the assemblies of his
people. Thy face, O God of Jacob! so our margin supplies it,
and makes it easy. As all believers are the spiritual seed of
Abraham, so all that strive in prayer are the spiritual seed of
Jacob, to whom God never said, Seek you me in vain.

2. The privileges of God's peculiar people,
v. 5. They shall be
made truly and for ever happy. (1.) They shall be blessed: they
shall receive the blessing from the Lord, all the fruits and gifts
of God's favour, according to his promise; and those whom God
blesses are blessed indeed, for it is his prerogative to command
the blessing. (2.) They shall be justified and sanctified. These
are the spiritual blessings in heavenly things which they shall
receive, even righteousness, the very thing they hunger and thirst
after, Matt. v. 6.
Righteousness is blessedness, and it is from God only that we must
expect it, for we have no righteousness of our own. They shall
receive the reward of their righteousness (so some), the crown
of righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give,2 Tim. iv. 8. (3.) They
shall be saved; for God himself will be the God of their salvation.
Note, Where God gives righteousness he certainly designs salvation.
Those that are made meet for heaven shall be brought safely to
heaven, and then they will find what they have been seeking, to
their endless satisfaction.

The King of Glory.

7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift
up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your
heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of
glory? The Lord of hosts, he
is the King of glory. Selah.

What is spoken once is spoken a second time
in these verses; such repetitions are usual in songs, and have much
beauty in them. Here is, 1. Entrance once and again demanded for
the King of glory; the doors and gates are to be thrown open,
thrown wide open, to give him admission, for behold he stands at
the door and knocks, ready to come in. 2. Enquiry once and again
made concerning this mighty prince, in whose name entrance is
demanded: Who is this King of glory? As, when any knock at
our door, it is common to ask, Who is there? 3. Satisfaction
once and again given concerning the royal person that makes the
demand: It is the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in
battle, the Lord of hosts,v. 8, 10. Now,

I. This splendid entry here described it is
probable refers to the solemn bringing in of the ark into the tent
David pitched for it or the temple Solomon built for it; for, when
David prepared materials for the building of it, it was proper for
him to prepare a psalm for the dedication of it. The porters are
called upon to open the doors, and they are called everlasting
doors, because much more durable than the door of the
tabernacle, which was but a curtain. They are taught to ask, Who
is this King of glory? And those that bore the ark are taught
to answer in the language before us, and very fitly, because the
ark was a symbol or token of God's presence, Josh. iii. 11. Or it may be taken as a
poetical figure designed to represent the subject more affectingly.
God, in his word and ordinances, is thus to be welcomed by us, 1.
With great readiness: the doors and gates must be thrown open to
him. Let the word of the Lord come into the innermost and uppermost
place in our souls; and, if we had 600 necks, we should bow them
all to the authority of it. 2. With all reverence, remembering how
great a God he is with whom we have to do, in all our approaches to
him.

II. Doubtless it points at Christ, of whom
the ark, with the mercy-seat, was a type. 1. We may apply it to the
ascension of Christ into heaven and the welcome given to him there.
When he had finished his work on earth he ascended in the clouds
of heaven,Dan. vii. 13,
14. The gates of heaven must then be opened to him,
those doors that may be truly called everlasting, which had
been shut against us, to keep the way of the tree of life,
Gen. iii. 24. Our Redeemer
found them shut, but, having by his blood made atonement for sin
and gained a title to enter into the holy place (Heb. ix. 12), as one having
authority, he demanded entrance, not for himself only, but for us;
for, as the forerunner, he has for us entered and opened the
kingdom of heaven to all believers. The keys not only of hell
and death, but of heaven and life, must be put into his hand. His
approach being very magnificent, the angels are brought in asking,
Who is this King of glory? For angels keep the gates of the
New Jerusalem, Rev. xxi.
12. When the first-begotten was brought into the upper
world the angels were to worship him (Heb. i. 6); and accordingly, they here ask
with wonder, "Who is he?—this that cometh with dyed garments
from Bozrah? (Isa. lxiii.
1-3), for he appears in that world as a Lamb that had
been slain." It is answered that he is strong and mighty,
mighty in battle, to save his people and subdue his and their
enemies. 2. We may apply it to Christ's entrance into the souls of
men by his word and Spirit, that they may be his temples. Christ's
presence in them is like that of the ark in the temple; it
sanctifies them. Behold, he stands at the door and knocks,Rev. iii. 20. It is required
that the gates and doors of the heart be opened to him, not only as
admission is given to a guest, but as possession is delivered to
the rightful owner, after the title has been contested. This is the
gospel call and demand, that we let Jesus Christ, the King of
glory, come into our souls, and welcome him with hosannas,
Blessed is he that cometh. That we may do this aright we are
concerned to ask, Who is this King of glory?—to acquaint
ourselves with him, whom we are to believe in, and to love above
all. And the answer is ready: He is Jehovah, and will be
Jehovah our righteousness, an all-sufficient Saviour to us,
if we give him entrance and entertainment. He is strong and
mighty, and the Lord of hosts; and therefore it is at
our peril if we deny him entrance; for he is able to avenge the
affront; he can force his way, and can break those in pieces with
his iron rod that will not submit to his golden sceptre.

In singing this let our hearts cheerfully
answer to this call, as it is in the first words of the next psalm,
Unto thee, O Lord! do I lift up my soul.